Land concern

BAS urges Gov’t not to use land that can be used for agriculture for housing

By Sheria Brathwaite

The Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) is imploring the Government to be mindful of the lands it is using to facilitate housing solutions and developmental projects.

Chief executive officer James Paul acknowledged that there were several hundred acres of land across the island that were not utilised, overrun with bush and considered to be “rab land”. However, he said that while these properties may not be deemed agricultural land, they could still be used to grow certain crops to boost the island’s food security.

In fact, he reasoned in an interview with Barbados TODAY that historically, a lot of the island’s lands have good soil but the focus was only on their potential for development.

Paul was speaking in light of an announcement by Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland that the Government was going to use 25 000 derelict properties and vacant lots to create housing solutions for Barbadians.

“A fundamental issue that we are seeing right now is that a lot of agricultural land is being taken up, not only for housing but for other purposes . . . . So where is the land [to build the houses] going to come from? Is it agricultural land we are taking up? If we are serious about production, you need land in order to do so,” he insisted.

“Also, when we talk about unproductive lands in Barbados, it is strange. In Saudi Arabia which has a desert, through a process, they are transforming desert lands into productive lands. So many times when we talk about unproductive lands here, it is only unproductive because people are not producing anything on them. Certainly, for agricultural purposes, they can still be used and, unfortunately, the title of unproductive land or rab land is used as a means of finding an excuse for developers or whoever to get permission from Town and Country Planning to convert lands that should be for agriculture into urban uses because they make more money in the short term.

“And the question is: is this the best usage of land for Barbados, especially when you go into some urban areas in this country and you have a lot of unoccupied houses? Even in Bridgetown, there are a lot of unoccupied offices and buildings and we are going on greenfield sides and building more and more buildings. It makes more money for the contractors but if we are serious about maintaining our environment, you have to question whether or not it is wise to transfer agricultural land [or land that could be used for agricultural purposes] into other purposes,” Paul added.

On Sunday, Sutherland said there was a major housing deficit, with 18 000 applications before the National Housing Corporation. He said the Mia Mottley-led administration was going to establish a new agency to transform the derelict properties and vacant lots into housing solutions.

Paul said some landowners saw it as more profitable to have the lands developed rather than lease them for agricultural purposes.

“In some cases, it is part of a strategy used by landowners to force Town and Country Planning to give them permission to subdivide the land and transfer it into other uses,” the BAS boss said.

“In other cases, there are those who would want to see the land used more productively but maybe there would have to be a scheme to allow landowners with agricultural land to establish a lease arrangement without fear of them losing their land in the long term. That may be at the back of the minds of some owners because, through the process of attrition and time, they could ultimately lose the land.

“But in some parts of the United Kingdom, you cannot change the use of land; it is there ad infinitum for agricultural use, but we do not view agricultural land as sacrosanct in Barbados. There is always a possibility through some means, where some people find excuses to change it and that is something we need to look at if we are serious about food security,” he contended.

Paul urged those in authority to try to strike a balance.

“When you look around the world and take into consideration food and the planet’s ability to feed itself on a long-term basis, a lot of people are concerned about the marginalisation of agricultural lands and the rate at which it is being lost. So, to the extent that we talk about the importance of the environment in Barbados, we would want to ensure that we manage our land space responsibly and maintain that balance between urban settlement and what lands are available for agriculture and other purposes,” he said.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb